no prospect of your being presently moved. Is your mind entirely composed, staid on God; and are you so entirely resigned to the will of providence, as that no unexpected event can shake your confidence and trust in God. If not, an address of this nature is not wholly unseasonable. And indeed this temper of resignation is a virtue in which we can never excel too much, and since it respects the deity, who is an infinite being, it is capable of unlimited increase. For it is always in proportion to our apprehension of the divine power, wisdom, and goodness; so that this disposition of mind can never be properly perfect while the Divine Being remains incomprehensible, which, to our finite understandings, he must always be. While, therefore, we may yet either know more of God, or conceive more strongly of his power, wisdom, and goodness, our confidence in him, and our resignation to his will, may be more complete.

In discoursing on this subject, I shall, in the first place, assign some reasons for a chearful acquiescence in the divine appointments, respecting ourselves, our friends, and the world. But previous to this, I must briefly state the true notion of trusting God, which may be defined to be a ha

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bit of recurring to God upon all occasions, and habitually regarding him as the first and proper cause of all things, and of all events. It is founded upon such a practical persuasion concerning the infinite power, wisdom and goodness of God, as shall engage us to believe that he will effectually provide for us, if we always endeavour to please him. Consequently, it excludes all anxiety about our present or future condition; but by no means such a concern as is sufficient to rouse us to the full exertion of all our faculties in the discharge of our duty, on which our present and future happiness entirely depend. In short, it is this persuasion, that if we in the first place pursue the things that relate to the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, every thing else, that is truly needful and proper for us, shall, in the exertion of our best endeavours, be certainly added unto us.

I now proceed to give the reason for chearful acquiescing in the divine appointment. And first, we must be convinced that, in respect to many things of which we are apt to complain, er the more remote causes of our hardships, such as the circumstances of our birth, education, and general fortune, in which our own determinations had no influence, it is not, nor ever was in our power

power to alter the course of things; and if we be governed by reason, it must be enough to silence all repining at our lot, to consider that our repining can avail nothing to alter it. Did what we are dissatisfied with in any way depend upon ourselves, as in cases where our vices and follies have influence, it might answer a good purpose to indulge painful reflections, as it might be a motive with us to recover the false steps which we had made, or at least to put us upon our guard for the future. In this case an easy acquiescence of mind is far from being proper, and ought by all means to be discouraged. But it is to take pleasure in tormenting ourselves to be distressed be. cause things do not go as we wish them to do, when we know that they are, and always were, out of our power, and therefore that no anxiety that we can give ourselves can tend to relieve us.

While David imagined he might possibly prevail with God to spare the life of his child, he afflicted himself, and continued fasting and praying; but when he perceived that the child was dead, we read that he arose from the ground on which he had been prostrate, that he washed himself, and took some refreshment; for, says he, while the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said who can

tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live; live; but now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again; I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 2 Sam. XII, 22. This conduct argues the greatest strength of mind, which few can attain, but to which all ought to aim.

The proof of a reality of providence, I am persuaded, is unnecessary at this time. Things so wonderfully adjusted to one another, as the several parts of this system, argues the whole to be the result of consummate wisdom, and as the same wisdom still superintends every thing, we may assure ourselves that the whole will be brought to its destined perfections whatever attempts may be made to disturb the order of things, and to prevent its proper completion.

But besides this kind of evidence, we have, in the scripture, such assurance given us of it, as ought to silence all our doubts. We are there informed, that God will certainly execute all his pleasure. The proud king of Assyria, boasting of his wisdom and might, was only a rod in the hand of God's anger, and the still prouder Nebuchadnezzar was only his hired servant.

Upon

Upon the whole, both reason and scripture concur to assure us, that every man's general station and lot in life, are appointed by a wise superintending providence; and as he gives the kingdoms of this world to whomsoever he pleases, so the affairs of individuals are not less particularly attended to, in the great comprehensive plan of the universe. He has given us all a set time, and bounds, which we can neither pass, nor remove. And though, in many cases, his ways are a great deep, and his footsteps in mighty waters, it is no objection to the reality of the thing.

Is then our situation in life not so advantageous and agreeable as we could wish, let us not repine at it; because, we are just where God thought fit to place us, but let us make the best improvement of it, and get the most perfect enjoyment of it that we can. Even with respect to the difficulties that have befallen us by reason of others, or by ourselves, we ought still to look beyond both others and ourselves, unless we consider ourselves and others, and indeed the whole human race, as out of the plan and reach of that providence which controuls all things. In cases where men are the immediate causes of particular events, and consequently, where blame and self reproach have the M 4 greatest